I. Field
The embodiments described herein relate to a network community platform, and, more particularly, relate to allowing users of the platform to send and receive e-mail communications from other users of the platform and users outside of the platform.
II. Background
The ubiquity of the Internet, e-mail access, and cellular telephones have created an environment in which users can be in communications with friends and family at nearly all times. Accordingly, a number of services and service providers now provide users with virtual communities in which people are allocated virtual spaces which they can personalize and customize. Within such communities of personal spaces, users having similar interests or some other connection or bond can congregate and socialize or share information and other news.
Because users rely on such virtual communities to socialize and communicate with other people, the usefulness and desirability of such communities is enhanced when as many of a user's friends and family as possible are part of or connected with the virtual community. Thus, there is a need for a user of a virtual community and other, similar services to be able to send e-mail to and receive e-mail from their friends and families within the virtual community and outside of it.